Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Meilen Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Meilen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,725 in Basel versus $3,482 in Meilen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,789 in Basel versus $5,449 in Meilen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,853 in Basel versus $7,416 in Meilen.

Living in Basel is roughly 7% more expensive than in Meilen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 180% above, Meilen 162% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.01 CHF 25.03

$30.45 CHF 24.58

1.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$154 CHF 124

$146 CHF 117

5.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.45 CHF 15.69

$18.82 CHF 15.19

3.35%

Cappuccino

$6.66 CHF 5.38

$6.46 CHF 5.21

3.10%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 CHF 4.63

$6.03 CHF 4.86

-4.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.00 CHF 4.04

$5.14 CHF 4.15

-2.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.58 CHF 7.73

$8.76 CHF 7.07

9.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.70 CHF 6.21

$7.43 CHF 5.99

3.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.79

$2.18 CHF 1.76

1.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.74 CHF 3.02

$3.38 CHF 2.72

10.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.00 CHF 4.04

$3.97 CHF 3.20

25.94%

Eggs

$7.91 CHF 6.39

$7.44 CHF 6.01

6.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.24 CHF 23.60

$29.03 CHF 23.43

0.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$37.30 CHF 30.10

$33.05 CHF 26.67

12.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.14 CHF 34.81

$50.7 CHF 40.94

-14.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 CHF 3.10

$4.04 CHF 3.26

-4.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 CHF 2.10

$2.42 CHF 1.95

7.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.05 CHF 3.27

$3.10 CHF 2.50

30.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.86 CHF 5.54

$4.97 CHF 4.01

38.03%

Potato (1kg)

$3.22 CHF 2.60

$2.63 CHF 2.12

22.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 CHF 2.29

$2.34 CHF 1.89

21.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 CHF 2.12

$2.56 CHF 2.07

2.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CHF 1.20

$1.15 CHF 0.93

29.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.56 CHF 9.33

$11.25 CHF 9.08

2.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.33 CHF 10.76

$13.11 CHF 10.58

1.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CHF 1.89

$2.20 CHF 1.78

6.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 CHF 2.45

$2.29 CHF 1.85

32.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.56 CHF 3.68

$4.03 CHF 3.25

13.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 CHF 86.8

$98.9 CHF 79.8

8.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.05 CHF 6.50

$6.61 CHF 5.33

21.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.19 CHF 3.38

$4.16 CHF 3.35

0.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.8 CHF 69.2

$79.5 CHF 64.2

7.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.77

$2.21 CHF 1.79

-0.90%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$40.7K CHF 32.8K

$40.2K CHF 32.4K

1.19%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$44.9K CHF 36.2K

$39.3K CHF 31.8K

14.15%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$303 CHF 245

$251 CHF 202

20.77%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$53.2 CHF 42.90

$60.4 CHF 48.72

-11.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.5 CHF 47.23

$59.5 CHF 48.02

-1.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.7 CHF 73.2

$86.5 CHF 69.8

4.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.34 CHF 34.17

$46.78 CHF 37.75

-9.49%

Cinema Ticket

$22.39 CHF 18.07

$26.94 CHF 21.74

-16.89%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,538 CHF 2,048

$2,850 CHF 2,300

-10.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.4K CHF 27.8K

$40.1K CHF 32.3K

-14.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 CHF 109

$140 CHF 113

-3.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$89.2 CHF 71.9

$60.7 CHF 48.96

46.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$175 CHF 141

$148 CHF 120

17.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$227 CHF 183

$201 CHF 162

12.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,105 CHF 1,699

$1,679 CHF 1,355

25.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,498 CHF 1,209

$1,493 CHF 1,205

0.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,749 CHF 3,025

$2,862 CHF 2,309

30.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,888 CHF 2,331

$2,474 CHF 1,996

16.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.3K CHF 14.8K

$14.6K CHF 11.8K

25.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.3K CHF 11.5K

$12.4K CHF 9,986

15.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,099 CHF 5,729

$8,239 CHF 6,649

-13.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.55

2.09

22.01%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Basel: July 27, 2026

Last update for Meilen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,105 in Basel and $1,679 in Meilen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Meilen pays 16% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $154 in Basel vs $146 in Meilen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $689 vs $656 per month, with Meilen cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Basel vs Meilen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Meilen wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Meilen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 16% lower in Meilen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,105 in Basel versus $1,679 in Meilen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,538 in Basel versus $2,850 in Meilen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Basel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Meilen is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Meilen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,482 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Meilen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Basel and Meilen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Meilen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.